Pyrophoric igniter



June 2, 1936; F msg UAL y 2 2,042,572

PYROPHORIC IGNITER Filed May 29, 1955 Patented .lime 2,1936

UNITED STATES 2,042,572 I PYROPHORIC IGNITEB Frederick Charles Wise and Willey Greenwood.

' London, England Application May 29, 1935, serial No. 23,962 1n Great Britain February zo, 1935 5 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to a pyrophoric igniter of the kind wherein a tube containing the iiint and its controlling spring, is enclosed within the casing of the apparatus andl is accessible through 5 an opening in one of the walls thereof, the clos'- ing member for said opening serving as a support for the spring, and the invention consists essentially in the provision of a closing member in the form of a slide which is tted in the casing wall so as to move across the wall and the opening.

'I'he object of this arrangement is to obtain'a closing member which is neater and at the same time more easily manipulated than the Screw usually employed for this purpose.

The spring bears loosely against the slide, and

means are provided for preventing the spring from being shot out of the tube when the slide is withdrawn.

Preferably the tube is arranged in a horizontal position in a chamber which also contains the wick tube and the abrasive wheel and which is closed in known manner by a hinged lid, the lat- 'ter and the slide being made so as to be ush with the adjacent surfaces.

Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a perspective view of a pocket lighter constructed according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is another perspective view showing the slide in open position,

- Fig. 3 is a sectional side view of the lighter drawn to a larger scale,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the spring tube showing the spring released, and

Fig. 5 is another sectional view of the tube showing the elements in operative position.

'I'he illustratedlighter comprises a ilatcasing I the upper part of which is formed with a chamber Ia containing the upright wick tube 2 4 and a vertical spindle 3 whereon the abrasive wheel 4 and a milled operating head 5 are ro tatably mounted. 'I'he head 5 projects through a slot in the casing in known manner. One side wall of the casing is partly cut open so as to give free access to the ame, and the cut-oil.' portion is replaced by a side piece 6 connected in known manner to a-hinged lid I whereby the casing is normally closed. The lid is controlled by a leaf spring 8 and is fitted in known manner with a spring-controlled cap 9 which normally bears against and closes the wick tube.

The iiint I0 (Fig. 5) and the spring II by means of which it is held against the abrasive wheel 4, are enclosed in a tube I2 which is arranged in a horizontal position in the chamber Ia and which is accessible through an opening I3 in one oi the narrow walls of the casing l. This opening isnormally closed by-a slidegll which forms an abutment for the spring-and which is withdrawn as shown in Fig. 2 for-1111 6,

covering the opening.

To prevent the spring II from being shot ou of the tube when the supporting slide isWith-f drawn, the following arrangement is provided: the spring is connected in known manner, at'10 one end to a plunger I5 by. means of which it bears against the iiint I0, and at-the other end to a head I6.' 'I'he plunger is provided with a ange I'I which tsthe tube I2 snugly and which co-operates with-a radially projecting pin or l5 screw I 8 tted in the wall of the tube for checking the outward movement of the spring when the slide I 4 is withdrawn. In order to allow a complete Withdrawal of the spring from the tube, the flange I1 is provided with an oblique` 20 nick I9 which forms a gateway for the projection I8 and allows the flange to pass when, in addition to being pushed or pulled, it is subjected by means of the spring and the head I6,

to a rotary motion. 1 25 l 'Ihe tube has a reduced portion in which the plunger I5 and the flint I 0 are guided, and the shoulder formed by the reduced portion serves as an abutment for the flange I'I which thus prevents the plunger from coming into contact with 30 the abrasive wheel 4 when the iiint is worn out. This is illustrated in Fig. 4. The head I6 is provided with aflange 20 which is normally accommodated in a recess in the tube and which prevents the spring from being inserted the wrong 35 way into the tube. A'reduced end portion 2-I on the head I6 serves as a means for facilitating the replacement of the head under the slide. By pressure applied to the portion 2I, the spring can be compressed suilciently for the slide to 40 engage over the main portion of the head, whereupon it is easy to slip the remaining portion under the slide.

To prevent the slide from being completely withdrawn from the casing, a pin or screw 22 in 45 the casing behind the slide and adapted to engage in a groove in the latter.

An additional tube 23 may be arranged under the tube I2 for the reception of spare ints. This tube is accessible through anopening 23 which is 50 l also closed by the slide.

As is evident from Figs. 1 and v2, the slide I4 and cover 1 can be'made so as to be flush with the adjacent surfaces, and the casing need not, therefore, have normally any other projection 55 than that of the milled head 5. Moreover, if neatly iitted, and particularly ii it participates in the ornamentation of the casing, the slide can be rendered quite inconspicuous.

We claim:

1. A pyrophoric igniter comprising a casing, a flint tube enclosed in said casing and accessible through a wall thereof, a ilint actuating spring in said tube, a. slide in the casing wall carried transversely across the latter and forming a closure ior the tube and an abutment for said spring, a plunger connected yto the spring for engagement with the ilint, a flange on said plunger, and a stop in the tube adapted to co-operate with said ange for retaining the spring normally within the tube, said flange having an inclinedv nick serving as a gateway for ythe stop.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 in combination with a head connected to the spring for engagement with the slide, said head being made larger than the bore of the tube and recessed into the latter. I

3. A pyrophoric igniter comprisng a casing having a top chamber, igniting elements in said chamber comprising a flint tube Varranged in a horizontal position and accessible through a side wall of the casing, a ilint actuating spring in said tube, a slide in the casing wall carried transversely across the latter and forming a closure for the tube and an abutment for said spring, means for limiting the movement of the slide, and checking means for the spring operative to prevent it from being shot out of the tube when the slide is withdrawn and to release the spring for complete extraction on the rotary displacement thereof.

4. A pyrophoric pocket lighter comprising a at casing having igniting elements accommodated in a chamber at one end of said casing, a hinged lid covering said chamber, said igniting elements comprising a ilint tube which is accessible through a narrow side wall of the casing, a flint actuating spring in said tube, a slide iltted horizontally in said narrow side wall as a closure flor the tube and as-an abutment for said spring, and checking means for the spring operative to prevent it from being shot out of the tube when the slide is withdrawn and to release the s'pring for complete extraction on a rotary displacement thereof.

5. A structure as claimed in claim 4 wherein the lid and the slide are iiush with the adjacent portions of the casing.

FREDERICK CHARLES WISE. wrLLEY GREENWOOD. 

